The most tragic aspect of intensive poultry farming is the way hens are treated as if they were mere objects, devoid of feelings. Their freedom is stripped away, their natural behaviors are suppressed, and their instincts are ignored. They are confined in environments completely unnatural to them, all at the hands of humans who fight for their own rights while denying these basic privileges to animals.
Hens and chickens are raised as:
- Layers: Female chickens bred for egg production
- Broilers: Male chickens fattened for meat
Ironically, the hens raised for egg production endure far greater suffering than the broilers raised for slaughter.
We must question whether it is ethically right for humans to:
- Grow grains to feed chickens instead of people
- Promote the so-called benefits of eating chickens and eggs
- Kill chickens for human consumption
- Allow people to starve due to a lack of available grains
The primary goal of intensive farming is to maximize production and efficiency. India is the fourth-largest egg producer globally, with around 48 billion eggs produced annually and an average consumption of 47 eggs per person per year.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, India’s egg production reached 82.9 billion in 2015-16, with a projected increase of 5%.
The Hidden Horror Behind Your Chicken Dinner
Picture being born into a world where you’re seen as nothing more than a product. From the moment they hatch, baby chicks are subjected to horrific conditions. Male chicks, deemed useless, are often thrown into grinders alive or suffocated in bags. Those that survive are crammed into filthy, overcrowded cages where they can’t move an inch. The air is thick with the stench of waste, and disease runs rampant.
Hens, forced to live in these nightmare conditions, suffer from broken bones, sores, and infections. They are denied everything natural to them—never feeling the sun on their backs or the earth beneath their feet. The only escape from this daily torment is death, and even that comes after a life of unimaginable pain.
This is the reality of poultry farming. By choosing to go vegan, you can reject this brutality and take a stand against the needless suffering of these innocent creatures. Every meal is a chance to make a difference—let’s not ignore their cries for help any longer.
The Ethical Dilemma of Egg Consumption
In India, many vegetarians—especially those who follow strict vegetarianism—avoid all animal products except milk and dairy. Historically, eggs were considered off-limits for vegetarians, with no Brahmins eating them, and anyone who did eat eggs acknowledged that they were breaching vegetarian principles. In 2001, the Government of India required packaged foods containing any animal products, including eggs, to display a non-vegetarian label.
Despite this, there is an ongoing debate about whether eggs are truly vegetarian, influenced by misleading information from organizations like the National Egg Co-ordination Committee (NECC). This group, representing a large portion of India’s poultry industry, promotes egg consumption, and some politicians support their stance. As a result, many people are reconsidering their views on eggs.
Here’s why eating eggs remains problematic:
Maximizing egg output: The bird “Red Jungle Fowl” in nature lays only about 10-12 eggs per year. Moreover, they eat some of these eggs to reclaim the nutrients. We have domesticated the red jungle fowl and through various methods increased the egg output to 300 eggs per year! As you can imagine, this puts immense stress on their bodies. This results in a terrible quality of life for them. Many egg-laying hens are unable to stand because the calcium is used up to make the eggshell.
Cruel Farming Conditions: Hens used for egg production often live in cruel conditions. They are kept in cramped cages, unable to move, build nests, or engage in natural behaviors. They are also kept under constant artificial light to increase egg production, leading to significant suffering. Consuming eggs supports these inhumane practices and contributes to health risks, such as Type 2 diabetes.
Ethical Concerns: Sometimes, non-vegetarian items like eggs are given away in promotional offers, which can be troubling for vegetarians. Organisations like Beauty Without Cruelty advocate for rejecting such offers and not supporting the egg industry.
Potential Life: A fertile egg has the potential to become a chick. Sometimes, eggs may even contain visible signs of developing embryos when cracked open. Though many claim to eat only unfertilized eggs, most eggs, even from traditional farms, are fertile. Mixing of fertile and infertile eggs is common, making it hard to distinguish between them.
In summary, eating eggs involves supporting practices that inflict significant suffering on animals, making it important to consider the ethical implications of egg consumption.
Misleading Health Claims About Eggs
In India, eggs are labeled with various health claims, such as “herbal,” “organic,” and “premium.” Some brands advertise their eggs as having lower cholesterol or added nutrients. For example, Suguna sells eggs with names like Active and Heart, while other brands claim their eggs are especially healthy. However, eggs are still widely considered non-vegetarian, and misleading claims like calling infertile eggs “vegetarian” persist.
Globally, eggs are also marketed with health benefits in mind. Some products, like hard-boiled or instant eggs, are promoted as convenient and healthy. However, studies funded by the egg industry often downplay the link between eggs and high cholesterol, despite earlier research showing that eggs can contribute to heart disease. A Harvard study found that eating seven or more eggs a week increased the risk of death in middle-aged men.
Some bizarre claims, like rotting eggs supposedly boosting sexual activity, are just marketing tricks. In India, promotional stunts like giant eggs or decorative egg boxes aim to increase egg sales. World Egg Day is heavily promoted with ads in newspapers, often alongside ads from poultry organizations.
Eggs are also marketed as a cheap protein source, but they are actually more expensive compared to alternatives like beans, which provide more protein and health benefits at a lower cost. There are also safety concerns, with reports of contamination and salmonella outbreaks linked to eggs.
Misleading Egg Labels and Their Ethical Implications
In other countries, eggs are labeled cage-free, free-range, and organic, which indicates better living conditions for hens. These terms are starting to appear in India, often promoted by foreign animal welfare groups. Despite this, many eggs in India still come from battery cages, and the labels might be used more for marketing rather than reflecting real improvements.
The term “egg-less” has gained popularity for products like cakes, emphasizing that eggs are non-vegetarian. Despite the marketing, all eggs come from hens and cannot be classified as vegetarian. Additionally, the government has supported egg powder exporters, although the market was already significant in 2008 with just a few major players.
Inside a Poultry Farm: A Glimpse into Their Harsh Reality –
Layer hens are kept in tiny wire-mesh cages, making it almost impossible for them to move or stretch their wings. This confinement causes their legs to deform. To force them to lay more eggs, artificial lighting mimics daylight, and hens are subjected to starvation periods to manipulate their egg production. Despite being banned under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, this practice still occurs in some places. Hens also have their beaks painfully trimmed to prevent injuries from fighting in their crowded conditions. Their diet is artificially colored and includes antibiotics and hormones, with additives like crushed oyster shells to improve egg yolk color.
Daily use of antibiotics and hormones in poultry contributes to rising antibiotic resistance in humans. To address this, India has set regulations that limit antibiotic use in poultry and seafood and require a withdrawal period before animals enter the food chain. However, these measures may not fully address the issue due to increased production costs.
A 2014 study by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) found antibiotic residues in 40% of chicken samples, including harmful substances like oxytetracycline and ciprofloxacin. Regular consumption of these products can lead to antibiotic resistance and health problems. Roxarsone, a growth hormone, may also cause arsenic contamination.
In 2017, researchers discovered high levels of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in chickens from farms in Punjab. Many farms use antibiotics for growth, with high resistance levels found in both egg-laying and meat chickens.
Newly hatched chicks are separated from their mothers, and a technique is used to determine their sex. Male chicks are often killed by crushing, while female chicks are raised for egg production.
Confinement vs. Freedom: The Debate Between Battery Cages and Free-Range Farming
In July 2017, the Law Commission released Report No. 269, titled “Transportation and Housekeeping of Egg-Laying Hens and Broiler Chickens,” to the Union Minister of Law & Justice. This report followed a public appeal for opinions on poultry care, including rearing, transport, and sale.
To address the issue of confining birds in battery cages, the Commission recommended that poultry farms be certified by State Animal Husbandry Departments. They suggested clearly distinguishing between eggs from cage-free farms and those from battery cages. They also proposed new rules to protect egg-laying hens and broiler chickens due to the ongoing issues with battery cages.
The Poultry Federation of India responded, saying that free-range farming isn’t feasible on a large scale in India. Some in the industry also argued that free-range farming could reduce egg and meat production and lead to more diseases because of exposure to droppings.
The Impact of Avian Flu and Related Developments
In 2006, India faced its first Avian Flu outbreak, leading to widespread fear and reduced demand for eggs and chicken. This caused significant losses in the poultry industry due to the culling of infected birds. To restore consumer confidence, the NECC launched a nationwide campaign promoting the safety of properly cooked eggs and organized egg fairs.
Bird Flu outbreaks continued in India, notably affecting states like Tripura and West Bengal. These outbreaks led to the mass culling of birds and the destruction of eggs. The NECC continued to promote eggs, despite opposition from vegetarians and issues with food poisoning in mid-day meal programs that included eggs.
In response to declining egg consumption, the government increased egg supplies to military personnel and funded poultry initiatives. Haryana also invested in a poultry-waste power plant to generate electricity, while research explored using chicken feathers for energy and plastic production.
Programs aimed at supporting low-income women through poultry farming, such as providing chicks for free or at a low cost, faced challenges due to high chick mortality rates. Additionally, in 2018, Maharashtra made it mandatory for large poultry farms to register and follow specific guidelines.
The Dark Side of Poultry Profits
In rural India, you can often see handcarts selling various egg dishes as a popular snack to accompany alcohol. The growth of poultry farming in India is largely due to government support, including generous bank credit schemes and media promotion of egg consumption. The Indian government has also classified intensive poultry farming as an agricultural activity, boosting its growth. Poultry research is funded by government institutions, and the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Exports Development Authority (APEDA) supports infrastructure for export and offers airfreight subsidies, primarily to the UAE. In the fiscal year ending March 2005, the government provided Rs 105 million in support for the poultry sector.
Despite objections from animal welfare groups like BWC, which oppose the promotion of killing industries, the NECC in 2015 requested the Indian government for financial relief for the poultry industry, including a one-year moratorium on loan repayments and a 6% interest subsidy for three years. They claimed rising production costs were not being met by higher egg prices, leading to financial losses
NABARD’s guidelines for poultry farming, including timely culling of birds and discontinuing those that are less productive, reflect a focus on profit over animal welfare. The recommendations suggest that the primary goal is economic gain rather than the well-being of the animals.
In Kerala, the state government is promoting poultry farming among school girls by introducing poultry clubs in 500 schools, starting with a scheme that provides five chickens to 100 students. This initiative is part of the broader push to encourage young people to engage in food production.
Wasted Grains in Poultry Farming
One often overlooked fact about meat-based diets is how they divert valuable food resources away from people in need. Intensive poultry farming, in particular, uses large amounts of grains that could otherwise feed humans. For instance, maize and soy meal, along with expensive grains like wheat, millet, and broken rice, are fed to chickens, which are then killed for meat. In India, over 80% of the maize and up to 50% of the soy meal are used for poultry feed, consuming roughly one-third of the country’s soy production. The poultry industry uses nearly 15 million tonnes of feed annually, valued at Rs 15,000 crore.
As of late 2014, the poultry market had grown significantly, with 80% of urban India consuming poultry and rural areas seeing increased consumption due to lower prices. The industry, worth Rs 90,000 crore, produces 65,000 million eggs and 3.8 million tonnes of broiler chickens each year, requiring 12 million tonnes of maize and 4 million tonnes of soy meal.
The feed-to-egg ratio reveals that 2 kilograms of grain are needed to produce the protein found in about 8 eggs.
This information underscores the need to reconsider poultry consumption as a way to help address global hunger. Additionally, those considering investing in the poultry industry should be aware of the high rates of fraud and mismanagement within the sector.
Egg Substitutes in Cooking
Eggs are often used in cooking for binding, texturing, leavening, and thickening. Here are some easy substitutes:
- Binding: Try ½ avocado, ¼ cup pumpkin or applesauce, 2 tablespoons tahini, or 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons water.
- Texturing: Use ½ mashed banana, or a mix of 2 tablespoons corn flour with 2 tablespoons water. Ground flaxseed blended with water also works well.
- Leavening: Soda water, baking soda, or a mix of vinegar and baking soda can make baked goods rise.
- Thickening: Use corn flour or arrowroot flour to thicken soups and gravies.
- Density: ¼ cup blended silken tofu can replace an egg in baking.
- Glazing: Mix oil with water to replace egg washes on baked goods.
Commercial egg replacers often contain starches and other plant-based ingredients. Tofu spiced with kala namak can mimic the taste and texture of eggs in dishes.